8471.000 Spermacoce L.

Description of the genus

Annual or perennial herbs or small subshrubs. Stems often 4-angled. Leaves opposite or in false whorls. Stipular sheath present, divided into 1-many fimbriae. Flowers bisexual, usually in axillary many flowered clusters (which may run together to form a spike-like inflorescence); less often in terminal capitula. Flowers frequently intermixed with numerous ± scarious, filiform bracteoles. Calyx lobes 2-4(-8). Corolla funnel-shaped or salver-shaped; lobes (3-)4. Stamens 4, anthers usually exserted. Ovary 2-locular. Fruit usually a 2-valved capsule.

Worldwide: c. 150 - 250 species, mainly America, but also widespread in the tropics and subtropics

Botswana: 4 taxa.

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Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
deserti N.E. Br.SW,SE
quadrisulcata (Bremek.) Verdc. N
senensis (Klotzsch) HiernN,SEDescription, Image
subvulgata (K. Schum.) Garcia var. subvulgata Description, Image

Other sources of information about Spermacoce:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Spermacoce
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Spermacoce
Flora of Malawi: Spermacoce
Flora of Mozambique: Spermacoce
Flora of Zambia: Spermacoce
Flora of Zimbabwe: Spermacoce

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Spermacoce
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Spermacoce
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Spermacoce
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Spermacoce
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Spermacoce
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Spermacoce
JSTOR Plant Science: Spermacoce
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Spermacoce
Plants of the World Online: Spermacoce
Tropicos: Spermacoce
Wikipedia: Spermacoce

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Genus page: Spermacoce.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1423, retrieved 29 March 2024

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